Be kind to our furry friends and your wallet, too

Library Links

By Bob Cochran

When I entered Libby Library this evening, I was greeted by the sound of hammering and drilling. On investigating the source, I found our mascot, Libby Lobster hard at work in a highly unusual looking contraption.

“What the heck is that?” I inquired.

“I’m working on my new invention, the land submarine. I’m planning to enter it in the Mini Maker Fair being held here at the library on Saturday, Aug. 19. There’s going to be three 90-minute slots, with nine presenter openings in each slot. I know it’s a way off, but the deadline for registering is May 13.”

“...But a land submarine...how does it submerge?”

I haven’t figured that out yet. The other drawback is that right now, it looks an awful lot like a dog biscuit. Every time I take it out for a test, I end up inside some pooch’s innards. I wanted to invent the land submarine, but ended up inventing the canine colonoscopy instead.”

“Why a land submarine?”

“I’m trying to hide from the director. I owe a boatload of fines.”

“Libby, you of all people, so to speak, should know the library is having a fine-free period from April 4 through April 18. You get to return all those overdue items you have laying around without having a fine. That’s a good deal, especially for you Libby.”

“No fines from April 4 through the 18?”

“No fines, but you do need to bring in a minimum donation of two cans of pet food, especially dog and cat food. Just think, you benefit from the fine forgiving, while at the same time you’re helping the great folks at the Old Orchard Beach Community Animal Watch continue their great work.”

“You mean I don’t have to spend $15,000 on this land sub I’m building to get out of my $1.60 fine?”

“Nope. You just need a minimum of two cans of pet food, Libby. Instead you get to devote that scientific genius of yours to a couple of fun children’s events coming up soon.”

“What are they?”

“First up, on Saturday, April 8, from 10:30 a.m. to noon there’s a Candy Making Program. Our ace Librarian, Jo, will be showing kids how to make tasty candy bird nests using lo mein noodles and melted butterscotch chips. We’ll even have Cadbury Eggs on hand to fill the completed nests.”

“Candy lobster eggs!”

“No, Libby. We had to rule them out, as they’re only sold in packs of 75,000. Before I forget, the other fun children’s event coming up is Steam Powered Saturday. That’s scheduled for April 15 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. This time, the kids will learn how to make bath fizzies.”

“Can I show ‘em how to make my patented seaweed suds again?”

“No, Libby. It didn’t go over very well last time. Anyway, judging by that counter at the bottom of the screen, we’ve got to wrap up. I’m sure we’ll have more enjoyable activities to talk about next time”

Bob Cochrane is a volunteer with Libby Memorial Library in Old Orchard Beach.